


How to Bathe Your Poodle

by GabzJones



Series: Bath Time Shenanigans [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Dogs, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Post-Canon, This is just cute family fun okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 08:18:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15214961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabzJones/pseuds/GabzJones
Summary: It was another one of those days. Those horrible days when Victor Nikiforov was forced to go to battle with his beloved Makkachin. The objective? Bathtime.





	How to Bathe Your Poodle

**Author's Note:**

> Aaand another thing I told people I'd write. Inspired by [this](https://porkcutletbowltrash.tumblr.com/post/174997274094/step-1-ask-nicely-and-bribe-them-with-their) post. Enjoy the shenanigans!

It was the day. The dreaded day. The day that Victor feared more than any other but couldn’t avoid. Yuuri had already gone out, which left Victor alone in the apartment with his beloved Makkachin. This was going to be a long day, he could already tell. It probably would’ve been a lot easier with Yuuri there to help him, but he’d only just moved in with them. Victor didn’t want to start overwhelming Yuuri, especially when he knew what kind of task this was. The kind of task that could send Yuuri running back to Japan. No, there was definitely no way Victor could allow one very unfortunate day to cause that.

Victor first saw Makkachin laying comfortably on the couch, her tail occasionally flopping from one side to another. He knew all too well how this would go, and yet Victor always did this the same way. It was as though the chase itself was part of the routine with Makkachin. Settling on the couch beside her, Victor moved to wrap an arm around his poodle, the simple movement immediately causing alarm in the dog. Makkachin sat up on the couch, settling herself at the other end and watching Victor with a mix of curiosity and caution.

Victor smiled sweetly, tilting his head in an attempt to look as friendly and not at all threatening as possible, “Makka, you know what day it is. Please will you let me give you a bath?”

That was all it took. Victor had uttered the abhorrent word. Bath. Makkachin had leapt off the couch before Victor could even think to stop her, rushing to the other side of the room. Distance. It was all about distance. So long as she was far away from Victor, he couldn’t do anything to her. Makkachin had been through this song and dance plenty of times. She wasn’t going to be caught again.

Victor smiled fondly as he watched her. He knew that this was going to be a difficult day, but he couldn’t deny how cute she was. Still, he’d be eating those words soon enough, he was sure. Victor stood up from the couch, watching as Makkachin shuffled away from him, “It won’t take long. I’ll scrub behind your ears, you know you like that.”

Makkachin whined, trotting out of the room to the safety of another. Victor wasn’t surprised. It was always the same. Victor walked across the room, picking up one of Makkachin’s favourite toys along the way. A new toy to try to bribe her out of hiding. Yuuri had bought her the little toy pig shortly after moving to Russia. Makkachin slept with it all the time, and Victor had even watched her toss it around the room, bouncing excitedly after it, yet it still remained in perfect condition. She was always careful with it.

Walking into the room Makkachin had retreated to, Victor found her settled under a table, head rested on her paws as she looked up at him, much more cautious than she had been back on the couch. Holding up the toy, Victor bounced it gently in her direction, “Come on out, Makka. I promise it’ll be quick.”

She seemed to think about the offer at first, eventually deciding that the risk was simply not worth it, even if it was for her cherished pig. No, she’d just have to stay under that table until Victor gave up on this ridiculous, terrible idea. There would be no bath today. Makkachin wouldn’t let it happen.

“Alright, fine,” Victor sighed, walking out of the room and taking the toy with him. He knew what he was going to have to do. He knew it would end in a whole lot of guilt, but it was the only way. Victor knew he was going to have to act quickly. He only had so long before Yuuri would get home, and Yuuri didn’t need to see just how insane things got around bath time.

Victor wasted no time, preparing Makkachin’s favourite treat and settling it on the ground in front of the couch. Grabbing a towel from the bathroom, all he could do was wait, hidden around a corner where Makkachin wouldn’t notice him. She was a clever dog, she wasn’t going to come out right away, but eventually she’d give in, and when she did, Victor knew there was simply no way she’d be able to resist the smell of her peanut butter pretzel.

A minute went by. Then another, and another. Eventually, Victor heard the tell-tale sniffling of Makkachin on the hunt for whatever delicious smell had caught her attention. She moved tentatively into the room, glancing around herself before gently nudging the treat with her nose. It felt suspicious. Very suspicious. Why would Victor be giving her a treat after failing to get what he wanted from her? Still, Makkachin couldn’t turn down good food. Besides, surely Victor wouldn’t be so cruel as to use a treat against her, right?

Wrong. The moment her back was turned, her guard lowered, Victor was leaping onto her, a towel in hand. Once he’d caught her, he wrapped the towel around her. Kidnap, that’s what it was. A horrible, scary kidnapping that could only end in watery doom. Makkachin borked in defiance, trying to tug away from Victor’s hold, but she was trapped. She’d been tricked, and she was going to pay the price.

Victor was in a rush the moment he’d caught her. She wasn’t going to just let him take her away. He had to get her into the bathroom before she managed to free herself. It wasn’t easy dragging a big poodle across the apartment, especially when she was fighting to escape his clutches, but this wasn’t the first time Victor had dealt with this mess, and it wouldn’t be the last. Makkachin was going to get her bath if it was the last thing he did.

Sure enough, he managed to get her inside, closing the door before she could make a dash for it. Makkachin whined sadly, brushing her paw against the door in vain. She was trapped, she’d been caught. Her insatiable appetite for treats had done her in. Makkachin settled herself down in front of the door, head resting on the floor and looking up at Victor. Sulking. It was her last hope. Maybe Victor would feel sorry for her and let her go. It wasn’t likely, but it was worth a shot.

Victor frowned as he watched her. He knew this was coming. She did this every time. The guilt always got to him all the same. It wasn’t that he wanted to upset his beloved poodle. She just needed a bath. She didn’t like it now, but he knew that she’d be thanking him for It later when her curly fur was beautiful and soft, just as it should be. Victor knelt beside her, brushing his fingers along her back, trying to reassure her, “I’m sorry. It won’t take long. You can have all the treats you want, okay?”

It didn’t matter what Victor said. It never mattered. She continued to sulk, to lay the guilt on thick. Victor did what he always did when she got like this; he rested his head against her side and rubbed behind her ears. It wasn’t going to change anything. Makkachin was sulking, and that wasn’t going to change, but at the very least, giving her a cuddle would make Victor feel a little better about it. Why did dogs have to hate baths so much? What was the problem? He’d be scrubbing her fluffy fur. Normally, she loved to be showered with affection. Why did water and suds have to make it such a bad experience?

Victor didn’t have time to dwell on it, reluctantly sitting up. Makkachin’s expression hadn’t changed, and she was making no attempt to move from her spot. If Victor wanted to give her this bath, she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. He’d already expected as much. Getting to his feet, Victor wrapped his arms around Makkachin, lifting her into his arms. Practice with Yuuri had been helping. It used to be a lot more difficult to pick the poodle up, but now, he barely struggled.

Settling her in the bathtub, Makkachin quickly jumped out the moment he let her go. She settled herself back on the ground in front of the door, looking up at Victor expectantly. This was going to be the next hurdle; keeping Makkachin in the bathtub long enough to actually get her clean. How long had this taken so far? Victor wasn’t keeping track of time, knowing that if he did, it would probably just be depressing. He was Victor Nikiforov. A poodle wasn’t going to get the best of him. Then again, Makkachin was Victor Nikiforov’s poodle, so anything was possible.

After wrestling the dog a few more times and having to place her back in the tub too many times to count, Victor grabbed the blow dryer, placing it nearby. It wasn’t plugged in, but Makkachin didn’t need to know that. He knew she was afraid of the dragon, the strange creature that blew hot air and was always really loud. Once she saw it, she seemed to understand, giving in despite how badly she wanted to run away from this horrible experience. Fear for the dreaded dragon machine gave her no choice. She’d lost.

Once the blow dryer was in play, it became simple. Victor made sure the water ran warm before running it over her curly fur, showering his beloved poodle with compliments as he lathered her fur and got her as clean as he possibly could. He had to act quickly. Victor wasn’t sure how long the wrath of the blow dryer would be enough to deter her. Though she sat still, he could tell she wasn’t happy. She wanted this to end, and Victor did, too. Once she was clean, they wouldn’t have to do this for a while. She’d sulk. He’d feel guilty. She’d probably curl up with Yuuri and give him the cold shoulder. Victor could only hope that wouldn’t happen, imagining just how sad that would be. Would Yuuri join her? He knew she needed a bath, right?

Victor was rinsing the bubbles from her fur, making sure none of the suds would get in her eyes as the sound of the front door opening rang through the apartment. Victor froze, knowing exactly what was going to happen, but having no way to stop it.

“I’m home!” He heard Yuuri’s voice through the door.

“No, Makka!” But it was too late. The second she heard the voice of her other dad, Makkachin forgot all about the wrath of the dragon dryer, bouncing out of the bathtub and kicking the sudsy water all over Victor. She barked excitedly, suddenly stopping still, “Makka, don’t you dare!”

She glanced over at Victor, seeing the look in his eyes. Warning. He was warning her to stop, but he’d put her through all this, she was surely allowed a little payback. Without a second thought, Makkachin shook her body, water flicking from her curly fur and showering Victor with more water.

“Victor?” Yuuri could be heard outside the bathroom, footsteps moving closer, “What’s going—”

As he opened the door, Makkachin leapt onto him, barrelling him over and showering Yuuri with affection. He had to know all the terrible things Victor had done to her while he was gone. He had to see that she was soaked, and it was all Victor’s fault. Maybe Yuuri would tell Victor that he was being mean. Maybe Yuuri would understand her pain. She was sure that if there was anyone she could trust, it had to be him.

Yuuri giggled, sitting up and looking over at his drenched fiancé, “Why didn’t you just tell me? I could’ve helped.”

“She’s always trouble, you don’t need to deal with that,” Victor shrugged, but couldn’t contain his own smile at seeing just how happy Yuuri looked with a wet dog sitting in his lap, soaking his clothes.

Yuuri gently pushed Makkachin towards the bathroom, “Maybe we should dry her off, huh?”

Traitors. Traitors everywhere. Makkachin couldn’t trust any of them.


End file.
